Pompeii, Italy

Located near Naples, Pompeii was founded around the 7th or 6th century BC and became a Roman colony in 80 BC.

Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD killed its 11,000 inhabitants. The whole city was destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 metres of ash and pumice. Lack of air and moisture allowed for preservation of artefacts and 1,150 bodies. The latter were then brought "back to life" in the form of casts.

Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was my second time there. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see everything.

Rain started pouring within half an hour of our arrival. Actually, it got so bad quickly that our guide decided to stop the tour. I had never been so soaked in my entire life!

As a result, I didn't have much time to snap photos. I'm quite happy with the few I have, though. :-)